


Field Trip Season

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Field Trip, Happy Steve Rogers, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Steve Rogers, Identity Reveal, M/M, Married couple vibes lol, POV Steve Rogers, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker's Field Trip to Stark Industries, Peter gets hurt ooh, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship, Team as Family, but it's all good now that shit is in the past, but that's background who cares about that??, did i say Steve was happy?, i sure as shit did, slight whump, they're family planning already, went off with the second chapter... doesn't fit the vibe of the first one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26033290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: June was field trip season. You had Steve- Steve who liked teenagers, Steve who spent every day faithfully answering students' questions- suddenly suspicious of a student who is too skittish.A big misunderstanding leads to Steve finding out about Tony's secret protege, Peter Parker.Peter sucked in a breath, fresh tears welling in his glassy eyes. 'I'm sorry,' he whispered. 'I only wanted to help people.''You're fine, kid. Whatever you did, I'm sure we can make it right.'
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Scott Lang/Hope Van Dyne, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, pre- Carol Danvers/James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Comments: 13
Kudos: 346





	1. The Field Trip

**Author's Note:**

> okay these kids aren't just telling steve their problems for funsies... like it's a whole part of the field trip... like when the the lady comes to your school to give an informative assembly on bullying or r*pe and kids sometimes talk to her afterwards. (i don't know if that's common or not. but it happened at my school)
> 
> this chapter's a stand alone, but I'm making a continuation on request.

The sun rose on another sunny morning at the Compound, waking Steve with its warmth. For once, he was content to stay in bed, swallowed by blankets and limbs, touched by the sun. It hadn’t always been like that. Mornings used to be uneasy, difficult things. He’d have to choose between staying in the strange bed or going into the strange world. 

He used to go for runs, regardless of ice or dark or injury. He counted himself lucky that he woke up for different reasons now. He stretched with a lion’s yawn, clambering out of bed and putting on a pair of boxers. Tony’s body in the bed looked like the perfect scene, a Renaissance painting with the subject perfectly posed. No bluster. No speed. No terrible, roaring storm. Steve turned away against every wish he had, as strong as the smell of a fragrant, blooming rose, to get back in bed.

‘Morning.’ Natasha, who still did go for runs with Sam, nodded to Steve. Sam nodded to him, switching on the television. 

It was all so perfectly domestic, wasn’t it? The coffee bubbling in the machine, Natasha’s perfect ponytail brushing her shoulders as she read through the newspaper. Tony and Bucky were still in their bedrooms, but they would be out as soon as Steve woke them up. He felt safe inside their penthouse. ‘You’re smiling,’ Natasha told him, raising her eyebrows. 

Steve shrugged. ‘I’m happy.’ It brought Sam’s attention over to the two of them. You wouldn’t think, looking at the Steve from six months ago, a year or two years ago, that he could ever be happy. He ate for sustenance. He talked in short, dead sentences. He fought like he was trying to die. Steve had not been happy since 1941. 

‘Congratulations,’ Sam said, coming over to clap a hand on his shoulder. Steve shook his head, eyes rolled skywards. ‘Never thought I’d see the day.’ Natasha snorted, elbowing him out of the way to pull Steve into a hug. 

‘I’m very glad.’ She pulled back, pushing him towards the coffee. ‘Go caffeinate him, I’m sure you’ll be paid handsomely.’ She winked. 

Pink dusted his cheeks, but he held her cheeky gaze with a smile. ‘Go suck my dick.’ Sam roared with laughter, flopping on the couch. 

'Leave that to Tony!' she hollered at him. 

He used Tony’s absolute favorite coffee mug, because he really did want him to be in a good mood for the long, long day of work he had coming his way. ‘Can you do my hair after we train?’ Natasha asked him. He paused. 

‘Sure. See you at nine?’ 

She saluted lazily, toppling onto the couch and forcing an oof out of Sam. Steve shook his head again, but it wasn’t exasperated, it was more foreign contentment, love oozing out of him. He poked his head into the bedroom he shared with Tony, squinting at the bright light. 

‘Wakey wakey, coffee time,’ he said, gingerly shaking Tony’s shoulder. Too heavy or aggressive, and he’d spook. ‘Tony, I brought you a present,’ he said. 

Tony opened his eyes, brown and finally familiar. (Steve was happy just to see him this close up.)

Natasha beat him twice, but he took her down three times, so he got backup for his Q&A. That was the deal. If he performed Apparently, June was field trip season, and the Avengers Compound was the premier destination. Every day, he’d set aside an hour or so to interact with the kids. Sam and Bucky couldn’t make it, but Tony was putting in a rare appearance as a favor to Steve, and Natasha had promised to join him if he won more of their sparring sessions than she did. 

Absently, Tony leaned forward to peck him on the lips. ‘What do we do in these? It’s like a press conference?’ he asked. 

Steve frowned. ‘Not quite. The kids just want to meet you. Ask questions, maybe. Sometimes- and you have to be really careful to make yourself trustworthy- they’ll ask for help. If someone is hurting them, or if they’re having a hard time at school, or just for advice.’ 

Tony’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Pressure much? Holy shit, Steve. I thought your advice would be, like, to avoid the kids that have a bunch of stuff for you to sign.’ 

Steve chuckled. ‘I like those kids. Some of them pretend that they don’t care when they obviously  _ do _ , and I always see how much they regret pretending to be cool. There are definitely a few that show up every time,’ he said, walking onto the stage. 

His persona grew, sprung to life for a class of sophomores. A confident smile appeared on his face as he took a seat with Tony. The class was small. Only a hundred or so kids. ‘Welcome to the Avengers question and answer session,’ he said, every word clear and raising more cheers.

‘You have one hour,’ Tony added, as if he had done it before. 

‘First questions go to Widow!’ Steve said, raising his voice above the noise and nodding at Natasha to move forward. 

He relaxed back into his chair, turning to Tony. ‘This is a different Steve,’ he said with a low whistle. Steve smiled with a tilt of his head. 

‘It’s a different kind of battle out here. It takes a village to raise kids. I’ve been looking into foster care,’ Steve said, looking into the audience. He saw the usual crowd. No matter the type of school, no matter the size or the wealth, the kids all were familiar. 

‘You’ve been looking into what?’ Tony asked. 

Steve jerked to look at him, trying to make the movement smaller the moment that he realized he was in front of a crowd. ‘I am interested in foster care,’ he said slowly. ‘I want to help. I want a kid- or, hell, as many kids as I can handle- that I can take care of. I want them to be happy, Tony,’ he said, looking out over the crowd with eagle eyes. 

‘Wow. I- let’s talk later.’ 

  
Steve nodded without looking at him. ‘We will,’ he promised. He hesitated. ‘See, there’s always a few.’ He nodded to the girl asking Natasha a complicated question. ‘That girl, she’s the one that’s passionate. Future politician, maybe. Or just a social justice warrior.’

The question was about the Accords. About their response, about Thaddeus Ross’ war crimes and the potential impact they had on the document. ‘She knows what she’s talking about,’ Tony whispered. 

‘They always do. The girls behind her are- I guess  _ typical _ , but that seems mean. They’re probably the most insecure ones. They’re usually the ones that come to me about their problems. I never know what to say,’ he said, voice quiet and raw. Tony was captured by his words, leaning into the crowd. ‘And that one’s the bully,’ he said matter of factly. ‘Not bad. I’ve seen bullies, and this kid is going to leave it behind the moment he leaves high school. I promise. And there are the cool kids.’

‘Let me guess, they’re the rich ones?’ Tony asked, flashing a winning grin to his adoring audience. Almost as if he didn’t care, like the intricacies of teenagers were just entertainment.

It was moments like that one that reminded Steve about what he really saw from Tony. On the surface, he was playful, careless, but in the meat of his heart, he wanted to help. He’d never understand these kids. He’d never been these kids. He would never realize the depth of a teenager or the frightening insecurities behind a teenage girls’ smile, he’d never feel the need to help because he forgot about the little guy. Sometimes, that assumption flipped in the shadow of his smile. 

Sometimes, Steve realized that Tony knew so much more than he was letting on. 

‘Sometimes. Usually, they’re the ones that don’t care. See those boys? They probably want to meet one of us so bad. Not sure who, but one of us was their hero.  _ Is  _ their hero, but they want to be cool, so they’re lying low,’ he said. A tiny, mischievous smile came to his face. ‘The opposite of the fainters.’

‘The what?’ Tony asked. 

‘The fainters. There’s always one poor kid who gets so excited that they faint or something equally embarrassing. I can literally feel their hearts beating from here.’ Tony craned his neck, laugh growing in his throat, quickly stifled, when he saw the pair of boys Steve was subtly pointing out. ‘Okay, both of them have something. This is a tech school- Midtown STEM or something?- so it could be for you, but I’m the only one guaranteed to be here. I’m betting they have some  _ merch _ .’ He said the word with a different flavor, teasing the name Tony always used. 

‘Really?’ he asked gleefully. 

‘Don’t be too mean,’ Steve chided. ‘It can be funny, though. They just really like heroes. They look up to me. See how nervous he is? You have to indulge that. Take them seriously, people don’t always take them seriously. Teenagers get angry, and they get nervous, or excited. I mean, when they’ve been going through it, you can sure as shit-’ 

‘Language!’ 

Steve glared at him. ‘Shut up. You can sure as hell bet that those teachers are going to keep an eye on the orphan, validate her- or him- but so much passes under the radar.’ He finished solemnly, knowing he was delving into the heavy stuff. 

He took a closer look at the two boys- fainters, as he so crudely put it- and saw how nervous one was. Almost scared. He frowned intently, going over the brief observations he’d taken. The boy was a little excited, at least, but his eyes were wide and his throat looked painfully thick when he swallowed.

Later on in their relationship, Tony had told Steve about what Captain America had been to him. For so long, Tony jumped on every one of Steve’s flaws like it was a victory, and for so long, he had been on his guard every second that he was around Tony, because the guy would only end up picking at every little mar of imperfection, whether it was on his skin or his heart or his grief. Steve almost didn’t forgive him, but Howard Stark was the real one at fault for using the same, relentless judgement on Tony that Tony later used on Steve. 

Captain America was the gold standard to some kids. To others, it was another kind of fear. Their parents told them how brutally he would beat them. They told them that Steve was the gold standard of pain. 

The field trips were his way of making up for it. June was riddled with them, so he set aside hours of his month for the groups that came through. Steve really liked kids. Teenagers, especially. He leaned over to Tony again, catching his eye. ‘You know, people say that teenagers are so difficult to understand, but you just have to pay attention. They aren’t going to start crying every time they have a problem, but you have to read the quiet signs.’

Steve stood up down to the second when Natasha sat down, a fluid switch that spoke to how in tune they were, and clapped his hands together. A tilted smile appeared on his lips when they cheered raucously. ‘Good afternoon, guys!’ he said, softness in his cheeks. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tony, confused but still- without being cliched- enchanted by how Steve tried with the kids. 

‘Hope school is treating you good. And you’re treating school good. In  _ my  _ day, you had to be good and respectful, or you’d get hit with a ruler. Good old days, huh?’ he asked, raising his eyebrows and prompting a low chuckle. ‘I bet it’s nice to be in the home stretch before summer.’ A murmure of appreciation echoed around the room. ‘As you know, I’m Steve Rogers, part time superhero, and right now I’m your one stop shop for advice, information on the Avengers, and whatever else you come up with. You all have any questions?’ 

There was a brief clamor, one he was expecting, as a couple raced to the podium at the front. The social justice warrior girl got there first, intimidating frown on her face. They were starting large, it seemed. ‘Hello?’ she asked into the microphone.

‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ he said. ‘What’s your question?’ 

‘What do you have to say about the allegations that you got into a fight to the death with Iron Man in Siberia?’ The Siberia question. Inevitable. 

He chuckled. ‘If I had, do you think we’d be sitting here gossiping like schoolboys? Tony and I are great friends,’ he said confidently. Boyfriends, more like. Partners? 

She frowned. ‘Thank you for your time.’ A polite one. Oh, and she was reading on real paper, too. 

He waved cheerily. Next was the temporary bully. ‘Hi?’

‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ Steve responded easily. The boy’s eyes glowed with pride. 

‘Hi! I”m Flash Thompson,’ he said excitedly. ‘Um- did you know that there’s a really cool vigilante in New York? In Queens? And it would be really cool if he was an Avenger.’ 

Steve raised his eyebrows. ‘Spider-man? Tony’s got him covered. I have my own brood to take care of. There’s Falcon, Bucky, Ant-Man, Scarlet Witch, the original clowns…’ He shook his head. ‘No way am I getting mixed up with Queens, either.’

The kids giggled. ‘Yeah, laugh all you want,’ he joked. ‘But Brooklyn’s my borough, and I was getting into fights in back alleys  _ way _ before that punk ever thought about putting on some spandex.’

The questions cycled through as they usually did. Avenger recruitment, invasive personal questions, advice for college, or school. A couple sweet girls thanked him. Eventually, he sat back down, waving cheerily. 

‘Hey, kiddies, you have ten minutes. Rapid fire questions. Go.’    
  


And there was Tony. Steve squeezed his eyes shut in exasperation. Did he not understand children? It worked fine, it just felt a little mean to deny them their time with him. The crowd had lined up at the podium, all but three. The teachers and the boy he’d seen before. Steve looked closer at him.

He didn’t just look nervous, he looked sick. With worry, with fear. Something had to be wrong. Steve wanted to talk to him about it. If there only was a way he could help. The kid saw the stare, and it only made him slump further away. Steve would ask to talk to him later. He couldn’t force him to say things, but he could lend an ear. With that decided, he listened to Tony’s answers to questions. 

Natasha kept a straight face, Tony’s humor wasn’t her favorite, but Steve thought the quips were hilarious. And the kids did, too. For all the individuality that every kid had, some things about these field trips were always strikingly similar. 

Similar questions, though he had gotten some wild ones. They started with some easy laughs and hero worship, ended with a while to really mingle and a line of handshakes. 

Steve smiled warmly, all the wider when he realized it was genuine. Realizing he was happy just reinforced the joy from before, like a never ending circle. ‘All the questions for today, Tony,’ he said. 

‘Aww, Cap!’ Tony pouted ridiculously. 

Steve rolled his eyes. ‘Don’t be so ridiculous, Tony.’ He turned back to the teenagers. ‘Why don’t you make a line up here and say goodbye?’ The kids scrambled yet again. 

Tony and Natasha hung back. Tony was posing like the casual bad boy, leaned up against a wall with his foot up and Natasha was set firm, graceful in her readiness for his battle. ‘It was an honor to meet you, Captain Rogers,’ the Flash kid said, eyes near manic with his rush to impress Steve. 

‘You too, Flash. Cool nickname.’ A smile ghosted across his face, a thousand remembered nicknames Tony had used on him. The next couple were girls, one that blushed like a beet and another wide eyed one, grinning freely. 

Steve hadn’t had one of those impressive handshakes people complimented- after the serum, it was all he could do to keep his strength in control, let alone finding the exact correct firmness- but he didn’t do half bad. The teenagers that passed through, with sweaty fingers or shaky, awestruck hands left with a warm smile from Steve and a place on Cloud Nine. 

All except the one he had his eye. ‘Sorry, I don’t think I caught your name?’ he said calmly, ignoring the way the boy’s hand spasmed and his wide, terror-filled eyes flicked up to Steve’s.

‘Peter,’ he stuttered out. 

Something was definitely wrong. And even if he didn’t confess anything to Steve, kids sometimes just needed someone to sit with them.  _ You’re not alone _ , it implied,  _ Call me whenever. _ ‘Nice to meet you. We’ll have- oh, ten, fifteen, minutes to mingle after this? You come find me, son, and we’ll talk,’ he said in a low whisper that was supposed to be comforting. 

The kid left, and where some kids were walking on cloud nine, oblivious and numb to the world around them from their own joy, Peter was the opposite. Eyes on the ground, numb to everything but his pain. ‘Ned, right?’ Steve started, giving Peter one last look before turning to the next student. 

Once the handshakes were over, Steve descended the steps with Tony and Natasha. The kids had gotten their autographs and questions out of the way, so the teachers were taking count. It left just enough space for a boy to sidle up to them, eyes anxious. ‘Hi?’ his voice cracked out. 

Steve gave him a warm, comforting smile- he hoped it was, it could be as harsh as winter, he wouldn’t know- and adopted a sort of relaxed, loose posture. ‘There something you wanted to talk to me about? I’m here if you need to say anything.’

The boy let out a nervous laugh. ‘Yeah, I-’ He swallowed, and Steve turned. Peter was approaching.

‘Tony can talk to you, okay? He’s such a good listener, I promise. And he’ll believe you.’ The kid met his eyes and took a few stumbling steps to where Tony was on his phone. Steve jerked a head at the approaching child to get Tony’s attention. 

Tony’s eyes were wide and panicked, but he’d also seen Steve through enough trauma that he could handle it. ‘You need anything, kid?’ he asked, and his voice was different, some tone meant for children that Steve had never once heard. 

Steve turned away, searching out the boy again. ‘Peter?’ he called. Was it too stern? He hoped not. 

The kid was floundering, desperate, but he followed Steve into a little alcove. ‘Yes- I, uh, Captain. Captain Rogers.’ Formal. Too formal. 

‘Call me Steve, son. Now, I was thinking we could talk about a few things.’ Peter’s eyes closed, almost despairing. 

‘I’m sorry,’ he said finally. ‘I didn’t mean to, I just- I wanted to do something good for once. Please don’t hurt me,’ he finished in a whisper. 

Steve leaned in, bumping their shoulders together and provoking a bodily flinch. His stomach sank with the realization that this wasn’t a kind of fear to be cured in a moment. ‘I won’t, kid. I won’t. Anything you want to tell me?’ he asked, feeling like his voice was too deep and commanding. 

Peter sucked in a breath, fresh tears welling in his glassy eyes. He lurched forward, head in his hands. ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered. ‘I only wanted to help people, and- and I shouldn’t have done what I did. I was misinformed, you have to believe me, he just showed up and I did what he told me, and I know that he was your enemy, but not such- he’s like my dad, and he thinks it’s okay. I’m not stopping.’ Steve blinked slowly. Well, the kid obviously thought Steve knew something. 

His eyebrows slid up. ‘You’re fine, kid. Whatever you did, I’m sure we can make it right.’

Peter’s eyes got more troubled, his face ashen. ‘I swear, if I knew where your shield was, I’d give it to you in- in a heartbeat. I shouldn’t have… have-’ He sucked in a breath, more tears appearing in his eyes. Steve couldn’t help but lean forward and try to hug him, but the flicnh back, hands up to fight warded him off. 

‘You’re forgiven. It’s fine, Peter,’ he said firmly. 

‘But I fought you!’ Peter cried, getting more hysterical rather than less. 

Steve rubbed anxiously at his arms, knowing that it would be bad to fight Peter. ‘I don’t know what-’ 

‘Steve, darling, I’m so- Peter?’ Tony glanced towards the two of them. Steve looked between the two of them.

The kid- Peter- looked towards Tony’s concerned face, twisting his fingers together. He looked less nervous, which had to be a first. Tony was almost always the more intimidating if kids wanted to choose, especially to a STEM student who would worship him. ‘Mr. Stark, I’m sorry!’ he blurted out. Steve’s eyebrows hiked up. ‘I don’t know how he found out.’    


He blinked when Tony stepped closer, sitting in between the two of them in a fluid motion. He’d never known Tony to be good with kids, but he was also a source of constant surprises. This- an arm around a shaken teenager and a soothing voice of reassurance- was one of them. ‘No worries, kid. He’s really perceptive, and I trust him with my heart.’ 

He tapped the arc reactor. Peter coughed loudly, pulling Steve’s attention away from the soft smile on Tony’s face. Around almost everyone, even a few of the other Avengers, he wasn’t so soft. The kid had to be special. ‘You two- uh, are you two- uh…’ He cast a questioning look, raising his eyebrows.

Steve shot a look at Tony, but he just smiled warmly and scooted closer. ‘Yup, kid. I’ve got a prime slab of all-American beefcake, right here.’ He leaned in and kissed the sensitive spot under Steve’s ear.

  
  
Steve found himself suddenly short of breath. ‘Wow.’ 

‘I’m blown away by him, too, some days.’ Tony reached out to grab his hand with a big smile. 

The kid coughed. ‘No offense, Mr. Stark, but you seem like one of those girls bragging about her boyfriend to her high school bully.’ Steve blinked. 

‘I’m going to cut straight to the chase. What’s going on with you two?’ he asked. 

Tony chuckled. ‘Peter’s my protege. I’m his mentor.’ Steve gave him a look. 

‘Yeah, Tony, but why’s he crying about how I hate him?’ Tony glanced down to Peter’s face and chuckled. 

‘Pete’s got some unresolved issues. No need to be nosing in for his trauma, Rogers. Out of line that you did it in the first place.’ Steve’s stomach turned. He almost always found some way to fix the situation, make it better. He shouldn’t have done that to Peter. 

‘Sorry, Peter. I apologize.’ 

‘It’s fine, Captain, uh, Rogers. I’m good.’ 

Steve still felt concern- if Tony was helping him, he was almost certainly in over his head- but it was a relief to know that he wasn’t alone. Steve was in over his head an awful lot, and Tony was always the antidote. He smiled tentatively. ‘Guess I should leave you to it,’ he said, clearing his throat. 

He caught Tony’s deep brown eyes. He was smiling in amusement at Steve’s fumbling, oh, he would pay for  _ that _ . ‘Go ahead, Capsicle, I’ve already claimed Pete. He’s mine.’ 

'Nice to meet you, Peter.'

'Nice to meet you too, Captain Rogers!' he replied.

'It was _not_ nice for you to meet him, Peter. You liar. You're still crying. Need a handkerchief?' 

The kid giggled, rolling his eyes. There it was, one of Tony’s hidden skills. This happened so often, Steve should be used to it. He’d go along thinking Tony couldn’t sing, or play football, or play the piano, and then one day he’d walk in on some masterpiece. The football game at Thanksgiving had given him bragging rights for weeks. And now Steve knew the truth; Tony was a big softie, good with teenagers.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finds out about the Spider-man habit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's chapter two as promised. i didn't go into it! but Thor, Bruce, Wanda, and Vision are all stationed in Wakanda.

They were trying out a new thing today. Steve was at the head of the table, Tony right next to him, as they did it. Rhodey and Sam had the same kind of posture, one that, if Steve had to bet, he’d be sporting, too. This was an official meeting, after all. Natasha was lounging next to Scott Lang, smiling lazily. One of the downsides with working with your family was they had no decorum. Manners-less. ‘I call this Avengers meeting to order,’ Steve said, banging the gavel down with a satisfying smile.

He’d gotten it at the Goodwill when he was shopping for new jeans. He  _ really _ liked the gavel. And Tony had this little grin on his face, stifled, since it was a formal kind of meeting. And, well, that just made the couple of bucks worth it, didn’t it? To see his Tony smile so nice? ‘Whaddya got for us, Cap? New training simulations?’ Scott Lang asked. Steve glanced over at him just in time to see Hope elbow him in the stomach. He yelped. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt!’

‘That’s fine, Scott. I did make a new training simulation, but this meeting’s about new members. Honeybear, you  _ have _ to come see me after, you’re going to love the new supervillain sims we were talking about.’ Rhodey stretched back. 

‘Nah, Carol’s in town, I’m going to be helping her acclimate.’ Steve and Tony exchanged a conspiratorial look. Matchmaking was too common inside the Avengers, and Carol was Rhodey’s latest match, in a long,  _ long _ line of attempts. Valkyrie, who was more interested in training than men, Nakia, T’Challa’s old flame, even Wanda. (For the record, Wanda was interested only in Vision, no casual dating whatsoever.) 

‘Well,  _ that’s _ nice,’ Tony said suggestively. Rhodey rolled his eyes. 

‘This meeting is about new members, like Tony said,’ Steve began, gently straightening his papers and smiling at the group. ‘With the launch of the Wakandan Avengers, we’re going to be short four members. If you have any contacts, those would be appreciated, of course, but we want new blood. SHIELD doesn’t have much of a recruitment program, so it’s up to the Avengers Initiative exclusively to acquire new members. It’s obvious what we’re looking for; people with special abilities or tech. Tony’s got someone on deck to start training in the Iron Man suit-’

He was cut off by the shrill ringing of a cell. Steve directed his disapproving look to Tony. ‘Someone’s in trouble. Jim, call the cops, in case this fight turns out like the last one,’ Natasha joked, smirking in satisfaction when Steve’s glare moved to her. 

‘Nah, nah, they’ll just frown and ignore it. When SHIELD blames them, they’ll whine. Tasha, Tasha, this has happened before,’ Rhodey said. 

Before anyone could go further with the teasing- Steve had his eye on Scott and Hope for the next witty duo if Sam didn’t steal the show with whatever one-liner he was cooking up- Tony smiled apologetically. ‘I’m sorry, honey, but I really have to go. It’s urgent. Peter.’ Steve sighed in disapproval. 

‘Can he not wait?’ Steve asked. Tony shook his head sadly. The look on his face, Steve recognized it. He’d been the recipient of it too many times to count, if they were talking about the way Tony would rush to the aid of whoever he loved, whenever they needed it. Peter seemed to need it. ‘Ok, honey, go ahead. I love you.’ They pecked on the lips, and Tony was out the door. 

‘Doesn’t it weird you out that he’s always rushing off to be with his “protege” all the time?’ Clint asked doubtfully. 

‘It is a little weird,’ Hope agreed, cocking her head. 

‘It’s fine. Tony’s not going to sleep with a minor,’ Bucky said in his gravelly voice. He didn’t usually participate in these meetings. 

‘Tony’s not going to  _ cheat _ ,’ Rhodey told them forcefully, a frown appearing on his face. 

‘Yeah, of course not, but it’s weird,’ Scott supplied. ‘Just from what I know, he doesn’t really like kids too much.’

‘This one’s an orphan, Tony’s like his surrogate dad,’ Sam supplied. He shrugged when the table looked at him. ‘We talk sometimes. Gotta make sure  _ Stevie’s  _ taken care of,’ he said, sending a shit-eating grin towards Bucy. 

‘Thanks for telling me what I already know, Sam,’ Steve said dryly. ‘Now we can stop this discussion and get back to business. If there’s a vigilante or an enhanced you know personally, we’d love to have them over for a training session. Maybe a dinner party afterwards, I could make that chicken casserole you all like…’ he said, leaning forward to jot down the idea. 

‘What about Daredevil, or like, Deadpool? Should we be recruiting morally grey vigilantes?’ Clint asked. 

‘I’ve already done my recruiting, I got shrinky over there on the team,’ Sam tossed out. Next to him, Rhodey stifled a smile. It wasn’t hard to see why- Scott really was funny when he was offended. 

‘Not shrinky! And if we’ve already recruited someone, I recruited Hpe, so-’

‘I recruited myself, asshole,’ she retorted. Looking back up at Steve, she smiled. ‘And if anything, it was Tony who recruited me. Anything for an old friend.’

‘If he weren’t Steve’s betrothed, I’d kick his ass,’ Scott muttered. Steve rolled his eyes, standing up. 

‘Quiet, please.’ He banged the gavel down and it snapped in half. 

‘Aww, gavel, no!’ Clint whined. Steve was inclined to agree. He really liked that gavel. 

‘What about Spider-man?’ Nat asked, turning directly to him. If the rest of them thought she would pay attention, they’d start off another round of talking. 

‘Spider-man?’ He’d never heard of the vigilante- had to be a vigilante, if he had a name- but it sounded interesting. 

‘You haven’t heard of him? He’s the next big thing around Queens,’ she said. 

‘Huh.’ Steve considered the name. ‘I’ll check it out.’ They were off at a clamor again, squeezing words and quips between information. 

Two hours later, Steve pulled out his old Starkpad- he kept it a secret from Tony, that it was the model from 2012- and fumbled his headphones into his ears. The videos didn’t disappoint. A red and blue figure flipping around, climbing walls, making quips, fighting criminals and tying them up. He’d seen him in Germany, yeah, but there was something else about him...

Something about him seemed familiar. 

It might have been the suit. He felt crazy, but he’d checked out Tony’s undersuit enough times to recognize the material and the way it shaped to a body. And the way the kid moved, it was on the tip of his tongue… 

  
  


Tony was hiding something. Steve climbed into bed with him, leaning forward to gather him up into his arms and kiss him, and he caught a scent. 

Blood. 

Either that kid, Tony’s orphan protege, was in trouble, or  _ Tony _ was. Steve let it go for the night, tipping Tony’s head up and kissing him deep, crawling into his lap. He could let it go for the night. 

In the morning, he tried his best not to jump to conclusions. But then, Tony left breakfast early, claiming to have another day with the kid. He’d been using that excuse an awful lot lately. It was pretty damn convenient; the moment Steve found about that kid, Tony suddenly began waltzing off. He did trust him, but it wasn’t quite enough. ‘Buck!’ he called, still looking at the elevator door.

‘Yes?’ he asked, padding over on silent feet. 

Steve’s eyes flicked around, and he leaned in close. ‘I’m going to need your help today. I’m figuring out what’s going on lately with Tony.’ His voice was low, carefully neutral, suspicious in case the cameras were watching. 

‘Got it,’ Bucky said back, on high alert. He walked shoulder to shoulder with Steve into the elevator. 

‘Do you want to get a coffee on the way?’ Steve asked, glancing over. 

Bucky hummed. ‘Cappuccino.’ 

‘I figured. My treat, since you’re doing this favor for me.’ Steve followed him single file out of the elevator and onto the street. 

Two coffees later, plus a burner phone, they strolled onto the street. ‘He goes into Queens,’ Bucky said in a low voice. ‘I know that for a fact.’ 

‘Queens. Huh.’ Steve followed him across the bridge. ‘Where do you think?’

‘I’m guessing the residential district. He doesn’t wear sunglasses, and his suits aren’t up to business standards, they come back clean, usually. He could be visiting the kid.’ Bucky said each word short, tough. So overwhelmingly different from what he used to be, easy words and smooth transitions. 

They crossed underneath a bridge. Steve stopped short. Inadvertently, they seemed to have run into Tony’s car. ‘That’s it, Bucky, that’s his car.’ 

‘You’re right,’ Bucky muttered, leaning closer. He shoved his metal hand in his pocket, face switching to something unrecognizable. Bright, happy. He began to walk away. 

‘Hey, where are you going!’ Steve whispered frantically. 

‘Seeing if it’s warm. Did he just get here?’ Bucky continued away. Steve looked away, rubbing his temples. Bucky was pulling the angle of the impressed guy, marvelling over and touching carefully. Steve bit his lip. Stalking your own boyfriend was dangerous stuff; why had he done this? He just wanted to see if Tony was lying, but this wasn’t what he wanted, not at all. 

‘Cool. He’s been here awhile.’ Bucky jogged back over. ‘I’m guessing it’s a house visit. See the window up there? This time of day, the only people home are going to be teenagers or stay at homes.’ 

‘So it’s the fourth floor? That’s where the kid is?’ 

‘That’s right.’ 

  
Suddenly, Spider-man swooped in. Steve startled back into Bucky. ‘A vigilante?’ Steve muttered. ‘That’s Spider-man, right?’

‘Huh.’ He was crawling up the building. Steve almost wanted to look and see where he was going, but they had a code, with vigilantes. They were doing good in the city, they didn’t need nosy supers after them. 

‘There he is!’ Bucky hissed. Both of them ducked under an older, beat up car, like most of the ones parked on these streets. Tony didn’t see them as they drove away. 

  
  
  


The group of old farts that preferred to stay home and play cards while younger superheroes frolicked- that was Steve, Bucky, Rhodey, and Natasha- were stationed at home on yet another Friday night. ‘Hearts are trump,’ Steve said smugly, pulling the little pile of aces toward him. Pinochle was the game of the night, they really were old, until Tony got home.

Tony was bringing one of his adventurous board games with, like that Catan one. They tried Risk, but Steve won the entire time. Tony couldn’t lose at Monopoly to save his life and Rhodey was just the same with the Newlywed game. Apparently, he kept track of all the little things. 

‘Mr. Stark! I shouldn’t be here, if you’re, like, busy!’ a kid yelped. Simultaneously, the four of them stilled. 

‘Underoos!’ Tony mocked in the same high pitched tone. ‘You’re coming with whether you like it or not,’ he chuckled. ‘Ladies and gents, I have arrived,’ he said with a bow. 

‘Nice to see you again, Peter.’ Steve kept his voice reserved for now. ‘What did you bring for us?’ he asked. 

‘Is it a card game?’ Bucky rasped, eyes focused on their newcomer like a hawk focused on a mouse. 

‘No, it’s novel-based, very adventurous. Hopefully it will finally be hard enough for us!’ Tony said. ‘Only plays for four people, though.’

‘You and Peter can be on a team, I’ll go with Bucky,’ Steve said, making room on the couch for their new arrivals. 

‘What’s this? Robinson Crusoe? Remember Gilligan’s Island?’ Rhodey asked absently. 

Steve shrugged; he didn’t get references that old. There was a blank spot in there. He tried to keep his eye on the kid, who had a nervous look about him. ‘That old show?’ Tony complained. ‘It’s from the 70s. 60s? Could be 60s. And this guy would always force me to watch it.’ Rhodey shoved him gently. 

‘What, like Phineas and Ferb?’ Peter asked. 

They all paused and looked at him. ‘I love that show,’ Bucky rumbled. Peter’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Little platypus.’

‘I always liked the Brady Bunch,’ Tony added, smiling fondly. And Steve couldn’t resist, leaning in to cup Tony’s cheek and kiss him sweetly on the lips.

‘Brady Bunch?’ Peter asked. He seemed to be gaining confidence. 

‘Go ahead, Fri,’ Tony called. The TV flickered on. 

_ The Goblin is terrorizing New York again, this time from the top of the Empire State. Our only question is where’s Spider-man? _

‘I have to go!’ Peter blurted out. 

‘But you wanted to watch Brady Bunch?’ Bucky asked, narrowing his eyes. 

‘Nope! Nope, uh, just- gotta go. My aunt’s at home alone. I worry.’ 

‘Spider-man is taking care of it,’ Steve said, looking at Peter, puzzled cock to his head. 

‘Yeah,  _ I know _ ,’ he muttered, though his voice was so low that Steve wasn’t sure that’s what he’d meant. 

‘Yeah, Peter should go. I’ll drive you home. You can start the game without me, I’ll be home in a jiffy,’ Tony said, herding Peter out the door. 

It slammed shut with a click. 

‘Huh.’ Rhodey peered over, shaking his head. ‘Tony never acts that weird.’ 

  
  


An octopus tentacle swung forward. Peter ducked; far too late. His reflexes were shot. ‘A little slow,  _ Spider-man _ ,’ Doc Ock taunted. 

‘Still faster than you!’ he panted cheerfully, ducking under another one. He hadn’t gotten much headway with the slippery tentacles, so he went for the source. She hadn’t been expecting  _ that _ . 

They engaged in a tangle of a fight, too fast to really track. Peter dodged more tentacles, getting soaked further. The slimy river water from the Hudson swamped over his head, but he thrashed against the tentacle until it let go. Breaching the surface, he gasped for breath. This was too tiring. 

If he could bring it to land, he’d be fine. ‘Look at that,’ she cooed. ‘Itsy bitsy spider doesn’t like the water spout much, does he?’ Doc Ock cackled wildly. Now was his chance. He vaulted off her tentacle, backflipping onto the walkway. She followed him. 

It provided the perfect time, the split second he needed, to start injuring her tentacles. Quickly, he used a web to snatch two of the big ones at once, bringing her off balance. She reached out for him with a smaller one, but he punched it,  _ hard _ . A plate broke off, water spilling in. One down. He yanked hard on both webs, cracking more armor off and shorting each one out. 

She screamed in rage, launching herself towards him. He rolled away. ‘Aww, Doc Ock is getting confused! I’m too fast again. Who predicted that?’ He smirked. 

Peter scarcely believed the look in her eyes, once he saw the whites. Suddenly, he didn’t feel like joking. She was maniacal. Two of her last tentacles snatched his arms, holding him spreadeagled. 

‘Karen?’ he asked, voice wobbling. ‘Engage electricity mode.’ It would hurt her more than it hurt him, it would hurt her more than it hurt him, it would….

‘Commencing electricity mode in five, four, three, two… one.’ Both of them went down in a crackle; Peter to the river and Doc Ock on the shore.

  
  


Steve was waking up late, as he often did, when the call came. It called back to a morning only a few weeks ago, the day he met Tony’s kid. This time, no one was in bed with him. Tony was in Milan with Pepper for three more days. Truth be told, Steve was getting lonely. ‘Steve Rogers,’ he hummed. 

‘Steve, Steve,’ Tony panted. He was immediately on alert. ‘I need your help.’

‘What? Where are you?’ Steve lunged for his suit, donning it quicker than he could blink. 

‘Not me. Peter. He’s- Karen told me he’s hurt.’ Steve gasped. ‘I’m not close enough. He’s in the Hudson, Steve.’ Steve closed his eyes. He should have investigated further. He should have prodded, that day, figured out where Peter’s mind was. He’d jumped, now, and Steve might be retrieving a waterlogged, dead body. 

‘I’m on my way. Where are the coordinates?’ Steve swallowed and it felt painful in a special way.

A  _ kid _ .

Tony rattled off the coordinates. Steve snatched the shield and squng a leg over his bike. He had a siren, if the Cap costume didn’t give it away. Urgent business. 

The closer he got to Queens, the more panicked he was. ‘Tony,’ he said, frowning and skidding to a stop in front of a toppled tree. ‘This is… the borough, it’s all broken.’

‘Yeah, yeah. Go towards the tentacles, he’s right there.’ Tony sounded breathlessly worried. Steve closed his eyes and prayed. 

The river was blackened, a bit of dye oozing out of a tentacle. Steve was horrified. What had happened here? An harness with an unconscious woman, the source of the tentacles. Steve leapt off of his bike and sprinted for the water, diving straight in. It was almost a relief to know that Peter hadn’t jumped. He’d been a victim of a supervillain, like any other normal boy. 

  
The comm in his ear kept narrating. ‘His suit is really bright, red and blue,’ Tony told him. ‘It hasn’t been long. Karen told me right away.’ It hasn’t been long. It hadn’t been long, but it only took a minute to drown, if Steve knew his facts. There! A glimpse of red and blue, on the other bank of the river. 

He swam in a few powerful strokes to where a person lay. ‘It’s not Peter,’ he cried, pushing the body out of the water. ‘It’s Spider-man.’ He sucked in a breath, turning around. 

That was when he realized, ripping the mask off. Peter was Spider-man. Of course. It made plenty of sense, now. The matching buildings, the worry during the field trip, the odd over-protectiveness Tony had for him, the secrecy. No wonder.

‘Is he alive? Is he alive, Cap? Steve! Oh, God, he’s dead, isn’t he,’ Tony said, a sob escaping his throat. Steve’d known since the minute he pulled Peter from the river that his heart was still beating strong. 

‘He’s alive, Tony,’ Steve whispered. ‘I’m notifying War Machine.’ 

‘Oh, thank god,’ Tony breathed. ‘Thank god. Thank you, Steve. Thank you. Sorry for lying, even.’ Tony never apologized. The ghost of a smile passed Steve’s face. 

‘Captain?’ Rhodey rasped, fresh out of bed. ‘What is it?’

‘Need a pick-up, Jim,’ Steve said, dragging Peter out of the water. It dripped off of him. Gently, carefully, Steve pulled the mask back on him. ‘It’s Tony’s kid. We need to get him to the medbay.’

‘Thanks, honeybear. And Steve?’ Tony’s voice cracked. ‘You really saved him. My hero.’ 

Looking back down at the face of the kid, Steve nodded. ‘Anything for him.’

  
  


Of all of the avengers, Sam had the hardest time getting used to them. Getting used to their family. Jim was the opposite, he’d done it so fast you could barely blink. He was confident, he commanded thousands in the Air Force, and he’d been a superhero longer than the team had been a family. He had the confidence for it, just waltzed right in and told a couple stories, suddenly a part of them. 

If Tony and Steve were the dads of the Avengers, like people sometimes teased- and Steve liked that teasing, even, it made him so happy to think of them like that, married. Partners. A good team. If Tony and Steve were the parents, Rhodey was the granddad. Natasha was the cool sister, Hope was the confident one, Scott and Clint were the dumber brothers, and then there was Bucky, the murderous enigma with a soft spot for cats. 

Sam had a hard time, though. He didn’t really fit in until he recruited Scott. Then he had the confidence to really step up as an Avenger. 

Apparently, he liked kids, too. Steve had been walking along, wanting to check for Tony in the lab, when he walked past the sweetest thing he’d ever seen; Sam, huddled together with Peter, showing the kid his little drone friend. Redwing? The kid had his own drone, too, obviously one of Tony’s. 

‘You know, if Tony finds out about this, he’ll kick your ass, Sam.’

The kid made a noise, a little  _ eep _ . ‘Captain Rogers!’ A couple parts had scattered across the desk when he startled. 

‘Steve, look at that, you scared the dickens out of him,’ Sam said, smirking over at Peter. 

‘Want to know who’s going to scare the dickens out of  _ you _ ? When he discovers you’ve stolen his kid? Tony.’

‘Mr. Stark? He’s not- I mean, he isn’t my real dad, Mr. Rogers. You know that, right?’ The two of them looked at him strangely in silent agreement to take the shit out of him. Steve tried to channel puzzle centenarian. It seemed to work, if the panic on Peter’s face was anything to go by.

‘What do you mean? He’s been spending time with you for so long, I thought you knew,’ Sam said. Peter’s eyes just about popped out of his head. 

‘Sam, leave it,’ Steve hissed, putting his acting skills to the test. 

‘No!’ Peter shouted, high pitched. ‘No, no, don’t leave it! What is it, Mr. Wilson?’

Steve and Sam exchanged a meaningful look. ‘It’s up to Tony to tell you that information. Come on, son, let’s go upstairs.’

‘Spaghetti for dinner!’ Sam said with forced cheerfulness. ‘You wash up, we’ll wait here.’ 

Peter disappeared into the bathroom. ‘This is mean,’ Steve said, a grin on his face. 

‘It’s funny. Besides, he’s an Avenger now. You and Tony  _ are _ his dads. And you did worse to me when I was the rookie,’ Sam reminded him, a wry smile on his face. 

Steve elbowed him. ‘Shut up, you did it to Scott, too. I’m glad you weren’t in a frat, your hazing would be-’ 

Sam frowned. ‘I wouldn’t hurt someone, Steve. Man, why do you have to take the fun out of it?’ 

‘The fun out of what?’ Peter asked innocently. Steve smiled kindly at him- he was a little snake like that- and continued down the hallway. 

‘Food fights. Thor started one, once, before he got transferred to Wakanda. Sam was saying that using powers took all the fun out of it, but that’s only because-’

‘That’s only because he’s a baseline human!’ Carol supplied with a shout. They were already all gathered at the table. 

‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever,’ Sam said with a scowl. Steve and Tony kissed quickly and sat down. 

‘Guess who I saw with Peter today?’ Steve asked. Sam sighed, rolling his eyes. 

‘Who?’ Tony shoved a meatball in his mouth whole. 

‘I bet it was Peter,’ Natasha cut in, dry as the desert. 

‘It was! You know, you have to protect your place as his favorite Avenger.’ Peter looked a little embarrassed to hear them talking about him. ‘Though, I guess you two have a special relationship already. Unbreakable bond, and all that,’ Steve said fondly. Sam coughed. 

Across the table, Clint was arguing with Scott over who was the better thief; his circus days were no secret, and neither were his mercenary days. Scott was the only one with experience as a burglar, though. It could go either way. 

Carol and Rhodey were talking privately, sharing an intimate smile. Maybe they’d put on Lady and the Tramp later… the rest of the Avengers could clear out and give them some alone time. Maybe it would be just what they needed. Carol’s Air Force buddy, Monica, was going to fly in the next day with her kid. 

The table actually seemed to be quiet for once, though. No shouting or arguments, or, God forbid, food fights. Steve took another bite of spaghetti, making a mental note to compliment Natasha on her sauce. She was secretive, yeah, but she’d probably give away her recipe; they were family, after all. In fact, the meatball recipe could be something he-

‘Mr. Stark, are you my biological dad?’ Peter burst out. Across the table, Rhodey spat out his water, snorting and laughing uncontrollably. Sam shared a giddy smile with Steve. Even better than they’d ever planned. 

‘What?’ Tony croaked. 

Peter’s eyes drifted around the table, stopping at Tony again. His eyes were wide and earnest. ‘Um. It’s fine if you are.’ 

‘I’m not!’ Tony said emphatically, turning an accusing gaze to Sam. ‘Who’s been telling you these lies?’ Rhodey was still laughing like a hyena, and Carol had turned her smile into his side. 

‘It was just a joke!’ Steve said with a snicker. 

‘Traitor!’ Tony shoved him. ‘Peter, I swear, I am not your father.’ He sighed. ‘Ridiculous what these two come up with. At least Bucky wasn’t there.’ 

Bucky banged his metal fist on the table, making Scott jump. ‘I  _ discourage _ them, Stark,’ he scoffed.

‘No you don’t,’ Sam muttered.    
  
‘ _ I _ am not the one who decided that stealing Mary’s underpants straight from the clothesline to sell to Artie Mayweather was a good idea,’ Steve said quickly, under his breath. 

‘Hey! You helped!’ Bucky retorted. 

‘It’s all well and good that we’re getting lesser James-’ Bucky flipped Rhodey off at the nickname. ‘-to admit to his wrongdoings but you do know that you’re part of the Avengers, right?’ Rhodey drawled. 

‘Like it or not, Tony and Steve are your parents now. They intend to pay for your college, help you move into your first apartment, have you and your kids over for Christmas and Thanksgiving, fuss over you in Medical… I could go on.’ Natasha raised her eyebrows playfully. 

‘She isn’t wrong, Pete.’ Tony cleared his throat awkwardly. ‘I’ll be there for you.’ He took out his finger guns, embarrassingly enough. Steve couldn’t beleve he used to think Tony was suave, back in, what, 2013? God. 

‘Welcome to the family!’ Carol shouted, smiling over at Peter, even though she’d just met him yesterday in the medbay. Peter smiled reluctantly. 

‘Guess I don’t have a choice,’ he said, nearly bashful. 

‘Cheers to that!’ Hope called out. The noise of glasses clinking around the table rang out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cannot believe that i wrote this entire chapter in two days.... where did I get that from???? i didn't even stay up late...

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are always welcome ♥♥ if you have a prompt (?) i'd probably try it.... i don't really care if it's for steve/tony or irondad idk i'm just having fun writing


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